Eric Gilbert likes to shake it up using music to sway and effect positive change. The former chemical engineering student is co-founder of Treefort Music Fest (indie rock festival for emerging bands), Duck Club Presents (concert promotion and touring), and the band Finn Riggins.
What is the change you are trying to make in the world?
I’d summarize it as encouraging people to be self-realized and living a life that they are choosing every day. I work toward this by being that change to the best of my ability, by encouraging others to do what they love by doing what I love and offering support, and by creating events for people to cut loose to music, to be inspired by music and art, to turn off their TVs and to see members of their community face-to-face. When we see each other, we know each other. When we know each other, we trust each other. When we trust each other, we are better able to be self-realized within our community. When we are self-realized, we are collectively stronger, happier and more likely to work together toward common goals.
Are you disrupting a market through innovative products or new ways of doing business?
Debatable I’m sure, but I do feel our approach to the music business is a fresh and genuine one. From day one, Treefort was built to serve a music and art scene and the community it resides in as opposed to any financial gain for anyone involved. What sets us apart in the business is our artist-centric, ground-up approach to doing things. We focus on relatively unknown talent for the most part and emphasize that Treefort is a curated festival for discovery. We aim to take very good care of our artists and are very artist conscious with all of our decision-making in everything from hospitality to production to ticket prices.
Festivals are a tough business. Talk about Treefort’s philosophy on financial sustainability if you would.
In the world of festivals, we've been pushing hard to make Treefort sustainable without a big, overbearing sponsorship presence, which is counterintuitive to what seems to be the standard approach to sustaining and maximizing profit for most festivals these days. When working with sponsors, we like to consider them more in the realm of community partners and keep them as local as possible.
What’s the biggest change you’ve made in your professional career?
Choosing to work for myself, work for causes that inspire me, and finding “stability” in multiple sources of income.
That response seems to capture defining elements of the millennial generation.
I’m 36, which I think makes me on the frontier side of the millennials—helping to forge into the wilderness from the tail end of Gen X.
What’s the biggest change you’ve made in your personal life?
Leaving chemical engineering school as a good student to follow a yearning for the creative arts that eventually led to forming a rock band with my wife and best friend. We quit our jobs and left town, bought a van, wrote some records and toured the US for 5+ years, pretty much non-stop. The life affirming result of taking that kind of risk cannot be measured—it changed my life forever and I will be eternally grateful that I found the courage to explore so deep into the unknown and for the people that were willing to go there with me.
Change is hard—do you have any tricks you’d like to share for making it easier?
Trust in your ability to adapt and to persevere through anything. Knowing that this is true allows you to change without fear, which makes the willingness to change easier to find.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Political and governance dysfunction.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would convert more of my time on my computer into time outside showing my daughter Vera the world.
Do you volunteer?
Yes. I’m currently a volunteer DJ at Radio Boise and often help with events for the station. I’m also a board member for new music and mental health related non-profit the Boise Hive. I have always found volunteering one of the best ways to engage with one’s community in a meaningful way.
What are you reading right now?
How Music Works by David Byrne.
Listening to?
Cool Ghouls, Ought, The Donkeys, Saintseneca, Sylvan Esso, Jonathan Richman, Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
Watching?
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Who inspires you?
My mother and father. My sister. My wife and my daughter.
Rock, paper, or scissors?
Rock—all about the rock.
What’s one question you’d like to ask yourself – and answer?
Who is your favorite band?